Mughlai Chicken Pulao

Ingredients

Chicken – 1 kg

Basmati rice – 500 gm

Onion – 5

Yoghurt – 250 gm

Cumin seed– 1 tsp

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Green cardamom – 6

Black pepper – 12

Cloves – 6

Cardamom seed – 2 tbl.sp

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbl.sp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Sliced almonds – 100 gm

Saffron soaked in milk

Red chilli and salt as per taste

Method

Soak rice in water for half an hour.

Make a paste of red chilli, cumin seed, coriander seed, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and keep aside.

Heat half of the oil in a pan add  3 onions and fry till golden brown in color.

Then add chicken pieces and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the ground spices and again stir fry till the masala separates

from oil.

Add two cups of water and cover and cook till the chicken is soft and tender.

When done, add yoghurt and saffron soaked in milk and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from fire and keep aside.

In another pan, heat ghee/butter, add first bay leaf, then add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and then add 2 onions  and fry till brown in color and then add rice to it and stir fry for few minutes. Add boiled water (double the quantity of rice or little less than that) and salt and cook on a medium flame till rice is done.

While serving, first spread a layer of  rice on a flat plate, then chicken masala and repeat with one more layer of each. Garnish with fried slice of almonds and serve hot.